Bridging the crystal and solution structure of a series of lipid-inspired ionic liquids.

A series of 1,2-dimethylimidazolium ionic liquids bearing a hexadecyl alkyl chain are thoroughly examined X-ray crystallography. The crystal structures reveal several key variations in the non-covalent interactions in the lipid-like salts. Specifically, distinct cation-cation π interactions are observed when comparing the bromide and iodide structures.